The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor structure, and particularly to a field effect transistor employing stressed nanowires and a method of manufacturing the same.
Stress in the body region of a field effect transistor can be advantageously employed to increase the mobility of minority charge carries, thereby providing a greater on-current. While a body region formed in a semiconductor fin or a planar semiconductor material portion laterally surrounded by a shallow trench isolation structure is structurally stable, attempts to generate a stress in suspended semiconductor nanowires typically result in deformation of the semiconductor nanowires. The deformation of the semiconductor nanowires can occur in the form of bending, or even buckling, of the semiconductor nanowires, and result in relief of the stress from the semiconductor nanowire. Thus, a method of retaining mechanical stress in suspended semiconductor nanowires is desired in order to provide a high performance field effect transistor employing suspended semiconductor nanowires.